Miniya's blog

If this looks familiar, it's because I didn't write it. Someone sent this to me so I'm re-posting it. I thought that this would be a great piece open up dialouges on. It's an article that discusses the banning of Little Brother's new video from BET by BET execs:

Little Brother video won't run on BET

Hip-Hop Update

by: Eli Jabbe

Little Brother's latest album The Minstrel Show was one of the most anticipated releases of 2005. I personally purchased the album and it is definitely great -- right up there with Kanye West's Late Registration.

The expectation and hype for this album was everywhere, so I know for a fact that other fans bought the album -- all 5 of us. The commercial success has been nonexistent as The Minstrel Show is currently certified somewhere around "double-wood" status. Several factors came into play -- mainly the lack of marketing and the fact that, apparently, most of the fans who listened to the leak of the album on the Internet didn't buy it when it was released. The dearth of marketing for Minstrel Show has been so drastic that, when informed of the album, friends of mine incredulously asked, "They sell this album in stores? I thought it was only available on the Internet." That's says a lot about the poor promotion for this great album.

Photo courtesy of Atlantic Records
The promotion, or lack thereof, for this album is perplexing when you consider that Little Brother is on a major label, Atlantic Records, home of stars like TI and Fat Joe. However, unlike many other artists on major labels like Atlantic, Little Brother has a slight problem. Their music video for the single "Lovin It" will not be aired on BET. Of course, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that it's hard to sell an album when your music video can't even get played on television.

The fact that BET is boycotting a harmless music video is surprising enough, but the network's reasons are even more infuriating. BET said that they refuse to play the video because it's too intelligent for the BET audience. That's right, BET decided not to play the video because they think their audience is too stupid to understand it. It's bad enough that BET program directors are even labeling their audience, but it's even more disturbing and insulting when you consider that most of the executives at the Black Entertainment Television station aren't even black.

Apparently, Little Brother isn't the only group who is being boycotted by BET. Recently, a memo to the BET video department containing banned artists surfaced on the Internet. While the validity of this list hasn't been confirmed, I wouldn't be surprised at all if it was accurate. Great rappers like Mos Def and AZ, among many others, are on this list. Even Dante Dogg, a singer known for his perennially great guest hooks, got the cold shoulder from BET.

What's the reason for the boycott of these artists? Their music is apparently not "relevant" to BET's target audience (which, for the record, is 12 to 19-year-old black females). Ray Charles could have seen the blatant racism in this.

This whole BET situation sheds some light on something every one has known for years. Everybody knows that BET, MTV and radio stations only play the same handful of artists. Unfortunately, record labels and mainstream entertainment channels rarely reward creativity. Labels are constantly searching for formulaic artists that imitate the newest popular artist. The music industry is a business just like any other. As Kayne West stated on "We Major," "Why do you think rappers write rhymes, just to blow up?" Everybody knows that money is obviously one of the main motives for any entertainer -- it's just sad how good artists can't sell records or, in this case, even receive airplay if they don't make formulaic music.

I understand that there's a time and place for all kinds of music. Nobody wants to hear Little Brother if they're at a club, but there has to be balance. Why is it that every time you turn on the radio or BET or MTV, you're forced to listen to somebody like Yin Yang Twins or 50 Cent?

Phonte from Little Brother seems to predict the group's plight when he asked on "Not Enough," "Dope beats and dope rhymes, what else do you want?"

Apparently that's not enough; they need a gimmick like rapping about getting shot numerous times to sell records in today's music world. It's really sad to see a great artist work hard on a great, critically acclaimed product and end up being rewarded with next to nothing. This also happened to Common earlier this year; his album BE barely reached gold status. At the rate they are going, Little Brother will have to settle for "triple-plastic" status for Minstrel Show.

Simon says, Get the f**k up.
Through ya hands in the sky.
Queens in the back shootin craps
Now what's up.
Girls rub on ya titties.
Yeah, f**k it, I said it.
Rub on ya titties."
(Pharoah Monche: 'Get Up')

Now, where we have come from and where we are going will come in the
next chapter. For now let's focus on where were at, as followers of  Read More »

Guitars are for white folks. Turntables and drums are for brothas. At least that's what we've been fed our whole lives, even though we invented rock 'n' roll. In spite of John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, Bootsy, George Benson, Albert & B.B. King, Lenny, Vernon Reid, Sly Stone, Chuck Berry, The Meters, and Prince, the most underrated guitarist since Bo Diddley, guitars (and by default, rock 'n' roll) belongs to white folks. A brotha with a guitar is like a brotha with a hockey stick,  you know he can play, but can he play?  Read More »

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Sankofa, it is an Akan proverb that means "you must look back to move forward."  Sankofa can be applied to any aspect of life and the spirit of Sankofa can be invoked to aid in major decisions. This article, written by one of my old professors, Mausiki Scales, applies Sankofa to his discussion of the past, present, and future of Black music.  Read More »

For those of you who haven't yet discovered Progress Theatre, I urge
you to seek them out. Cristal Truscott puts together amazing stories
and Maiesha McQueen was a gift with music. Recently, I had the
opportunity to see 'Membuh: [Confessions of] The Only Generation. It
was amazing. Basically, it's a staged essay about memories (both
imagined and real) of an African American past, present, and future.  Read More »

I can recall a joint KRS-One did called R.E.A.L.I.T.Y. (Rhymz Equal Actual Life In The Youth); when I first heard it, I felt the acronym applied. But when really lookin' at life as it today, the rhymes our youth are hearin' today has become more destructive than productive.

Take for instance, we all can attest to the reason we hear what we hear on the radio 24-7. The one mainly responsible is obviously the white corporate structure who pour in millions of dollars to these stations 'from record labels to fast food chains ensuring yet another week of bling-bling, bang-bang and kill dat nigga joints. And this shit is addictive!  Read More »

The term conscious, when applied to the subject of hip-hop has always been used to describe a genre of the art containing inspirational and/or informative lyrics, "message music", if you will. In an era of extreme and sexually explicit and violent lyrics, conscious hip-hop has nearly become an oxymoron. It is a form of the music not normally or easily associated with the art form as a whole. Conscious hip-hop includes any hip-hop music that is responsible, thought provoking and/or inspirational towards positivity.  Read More »

BET is always late. A brown skinned, bootleg version of MTV at best. Constantly playing a game of catch up when they could be the leaders in providing televised coverage on the relevant and the fantastic issues in the Black community. BET never steps up to the plate to become the maverick they could be, and falling short, sometimes even short of mediocrity. Black Entertainment Television has chosen to ignore most forms of entertainment, Black and otherwise, and focus mostly on music. And even then, they don't make the grade.

Our beloved channel dedicated to the supposed media boost of colored folks isn't even first to step up to the plate when it comes to music. MTV was the first to air rap music to the world. Bringing us YO! MTV Raps and helping to define Hip Hop culture. BET followed with its tired attempt at Monkey See Monkey Do. In the end, Rap City outlasted YO! but not because it was the better show.  Read More »